The Cop and the Spirit

By Harry Kartinen

An officer with the Long Beach, California, Police Force, author Harry Kartinen loved being out on the streets. His forte was interacting with the public in situations that could be classified as uncomfortable to dangerous. Seven years into his career, Kartinen was filled with the Holy Spirit.

In The Cop and the Spirit, Kartinen shares how that divine intervention transformed both his personal life and his work with the police force. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, this young policeman had what most people would call extremely unusual experiences as a street cop as he received precise directions to solve police activities on the street. A collection of true stories about his miraculous experiences, he tells how the divine support aided in his work to help the people of his community.

From locating a lost boy, to tracking down an armed robber, to saving a woman from a suicide attempt, The Cop and the Spirit narrates the many stories of how the spirit intervened and helped one policeman uphold his oath.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491745816

Book preview

He Is In The Tree

I was working afternoon patrol when an armed robbery occurred at Pacific Avenue and Willow Street. The suspect had entered a restaurant and pulled a handgun to rob them of their money. The suspect ran west on Willow and then north. We had thrown up a perimeter and were sure we had him surrounded.

One of my old partners who was a K9 officer came to the area. Just then a lady called the police and stated her dog was barking at something in her backyard. Her dog was in the house and it was dark outside. Her address was within our perimeter so the k9 unit and I went to the lady’s house. I went because I knew the dog and the dog knew me. We told the lady to stay inside and keep her dog inside.

We went to the side gate and after giving anyone in the yard a chance to speak up or give up we entered. The dog was turned loose and he ran towards a huge tree in the middle of the yard. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit told me to point my shotgun up into the middle of the tree. As I did a voice in the tree was yelling I give up don’t shoot.

The suspect stated he had a 44 magnum and it was loaded; it was in his front waistband. I told him to come down very slowly and we took him into custody. He was on parole for armed robbery and said he was going to shoot the dog and k9 officer. When I pointed the shot gun right at him he gave up. He stated I’m not afraid of any handgun but only a fool would argue with a shotgun.

Hope Restored

I was working uniform patrol when I received a call about a possible attempted suicide. I went to the address and contacted a middle-aged woman in her apartment. She was lying on the sofa and would not get up. She seemed depressed and had an I don’t care attitude. Her daughter had called the police after talking with her on the phone. The daughter was at work and I called her to find out why she was concerned about suicide.

The daughter stated her mother is a diabetic and last night they had taken her to the emergency room of a local hospital. Her illness was out of control and her blood count was way above normal and dangerously high. Her mother was released from the hospital and had an appointment with her doctor at 1 pm this day. The daughter stated she and her brother were coming to take her to the doctor later but her mother sounded so depressed and seemed not to care about living that they called the police. Part of the problem is that her mother does not eat and her blood sugar level gets all out of balance. She tried to talk her mother into getting up and eating but her mother refused and said she did not really care to live.

I talked with the lady and between the fact her children had grown up and were on their own and she had no husband and her diabetic condition, she just lost hope and will to live. She stated she would never kill herself but she did not really care about living.

I called the hospital and her doctor and confirmed her appointment and called her daughter and son back and did all I possibly could within the scope of a police officer. I told her I had to leave and my duties as a police officer were ended but as just a person who cares could I have her permission to pray for her. She said yes and I knelt down by her as she lay on the sofa and prayed a very direct and pointed prayer for her healing and spiritual renewal. I finished the prayer and got up to leave when the lady jumped up off the sofa and said I feel good. She got up and said she was hungry and she was going to cook herself some food. I